Mr. Speaker, following the recent federal initiatives regarding health and equalization, this year Quebec will receive close to $1 billion more from the Government of Canada. Next year, it will receive more than $1.8 billion. As for previous years, we have shown great flexibility. For 2004 alone, we erased an amount of close to $1 billion that was owed by Quebec to the Government of Canada, and we also postponed the repayment of another $2.4 billion.
In the House of Commons on February 3rd, 2005. See this statement in context.